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The Species Composition and Occurrence of Free-Living Flatworms (Plathelminthes) in the Freshwater Fauna of the Middle Volga Region

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Abstract

According to our own and literature generalized data, 84 species from 34 genera of free-living flatworms (Plathelminthes: Catenulida, Rhabditophora) presently occur in the freshwater fauna of the Middle Volga region (the Tatarstan and Mari El republics). A taxonomic revision makes it possible to refine the nomenclature and synonymy of the all identified species and to eliminate “dubious” names (Mesostoma gonocephalum and Mesostoma viridatum). Eight species (Myostenostomum vanderlandi, Stenostomum constrictum, Stenostomum heebuktense, Macrostomum longituba, Koinocystis lacustris, Pontaralia beklemichevi, Microdalyellia tennesseensis and Phaenocora variodentata) recorded for the first time in the fauna of Russia. The morphological features of two limnotyphloplanids, Gieysztoria sp. 1 and Typhloplanidae gen. sp. 1 , fail to fit into the characteristics of the species known to the fauna of Russia. Additional factual confirmation is needed for six microturbellarian species (Stenostomum ignavum, Dalyellia scoparia, Castrada chlorea, etc.) recorded from the region more than 100 years ago. The data we obtained allow the zoogeographic structure and occurrence of free-living flatworms in the water bodies of the Middle Volga region to be characterized.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to their colleagues, L.E. Butorova, D.S. Lyubarskii, T.A. Gordienko, I.I. Ziganshin, and A.R. Valetdinov for their help in collecting the material.

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  1. Research Institute for Problems of Ecology and Mineral Wealth Use, Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, 420087, Kazan, Russia

    R. P. Tokinova & S. V. Berdnik

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  1. R. P. Tokinova
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Correspondence to R. P. Tokinova.

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Tokinova, R.P., Berdnik, S.V. The Species Composition and Occurrence of Free-Living Flatworms (Plathelminthes) in the Freshwater Fauna of the Middle Volga Region. Biol Bull Russ Acad Sci 49, 1657–1668 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1062359022090333

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